5 best British royal wedding dresses of all time, from Queen Elizabeth’s pearls and Meghan Markle’s Givenchy veil, to Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen creation and Princess Diana’s iconic tiara

British royal Princess Beatrice, the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, married property developer and Italian noble Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi two years ago on July 17, tying the knot in a low-key ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s not the only royal wedding anniversary this month – her aunt Princess Anne’s daughter Zara married rugby star Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011, and her half-sister Stephanie also opted for nuptials at the height of summer when she recently got hitched. But it was in 1981, on the July 29 wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, that brought out one of the most iconic royal bridal gowns. Here are the royal wedding dresses that went down in history … Princess Beatrice’s hand-me-down from Queen Elizabeth When Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s daughter Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, she wore the same Queen Mary Fringe Tiara commissioned from Garrard by the queen’s grandmother Queen Mary in 1919, as Queen Elizabeth wore on her own wedding day in November 1947. But the item wasn’t the only piece full of history on Princess Beatrice; the queen loaned her granddaughter a Peau De Soie taffeta and organza gown from 20th century designer Norman Hartnell. The item is recognisable from 1960s images of the queen wearing it herself at several events. Stand-out details include a Duchesse satin trim and a unique pattern of diamanté, but triple organza sleeves were added along with other reversible alterations. Trouble in paradise? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent bad luck Meghan Markle’s incredible veil Under French fashion house Givenchy, British designer Clare Waight Keller worked on the Duchess of Sussex’s dress for her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. According to the official British royal website, Markle and Waight Keller worked closely together on the design of the dress, which was made from double-bonded silk cady, “with the pure lines of the dress achieved using six meticulously placed seams”. The design is particularly impressive because the American-born Duchess of Sussex opted to have the 53 countries of the Commonwealth factored in and the designer did so by creating a unique floral composition on the veil. Kate Middleton’s Victorian-style bodice Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton had the task of creating the unforgettable gown Kate wore as she walked down the aisle at London’s Westminster Abbey. The gown featured an ivory satin bodice with floral motifs cut from machine-made lace and appliqued onto silk net. In the style of the Victorian era, the bodice had slight padding at the hips to emphasise a narrowed waist and had 58 buttons of gazar and organza at the back fastened by Rouleau loops. The long, full skirt was “designed to echo an opening flower, with soft pleats which unfolded to the floor”, according to the brand, and formed a semi-bustle at the back. The train on Kate’s dress was just under three metres long. Meet Samuel Chatto, Queen Elizabeth’s heartthrob grandnephew Princess Diana’s spectacular train and tiara David and Elizabeth Emanuel designed Lady Diana Spencer’s dramatic ivory silk taffeta gown for her wedding to the Prince of Wales in July 1981. The striking dress featured a fitted and boned bodice with embroidered panels using lace that had belonged to Queen Mary. Prince Charles’ bride gained further attention for her dress as it was embellished with sparkling pearls and sequins in a heart motif. But it was her ivory silk tulle veil – held in place by the Spencer family’s diamond tiara – and 7.6-metre-long (25-foot-long) train that stole the show. Queen Elizabeth’s pearl and crystal spread Queen Elizabeth married the late Prince Philip in November 1947 when she hadn’t yet ascended to the throne and was known as Princess Elizabeth. She wore an ivory duchesse satin dress designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, which featured 10,000 pearls and crystals hand embroidered into the rose of York. The designer has said Botticelli’s painting Primavera, which symbolises the coming of spring, inspired the gown. It included a fitted bodice with a heart-shaped neckline and long tight sleeves, a spreading skirt, and four-metre 13-foot train with floral and wheat embroidery on “transparent tulle outlined in seed pearls and crystal,” according to the Royal Family website. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.